Free2Play Command&Conquer canned after customer feedback from alpha release.

[Deleted member 13524]

They were offering alpha testing keys to the people who bought the latest C&C collection box, and apparently it wasn't going so well. All the feedback they were getting was how people just wanted the campaign mode C&C back and no one was enjoying the F2P multiplayer crap.

"Part of being in a creative team is the understanding that not all of your choices are going to work out," said Victory on the official Command & Conquer website. "In this case, we shifted the game away from campaign mode and built an economy-based, multiplayer experience.

"Your feedback from the alpha trial is clear: We are not making the game you want to play. That is why, after much difficult deliberation, we have decided to cease production of this version of the game. Although we deeply respect the great work done by our talented team, ultimately it's about getting you the game you expect and deserve."

Woah.. they LISTENED! They shelved an entire project for customer feedback, because the message that people don't want F2P actually reached their ears.
And then they explain more about the future of the franchise:

We believe that Command & Conquer is a powerful franchise with huge potential and a great history, and we are determined to get the best game made as soon as possible," it continued. "To that end, we have already begun looking at a number of alternatives to get the game back on track. We look forward to sharing more news about the franchise as it develops. Thank you again for your participation and support

Maybe it's just wishful thinking, but all I can read from that is: "We're taking the C&C franchise back to campaign-based RTS".

Personally, I'm really happy with this. After losing so much terrain from campaign-based RTSes to F2P MOBAs for so many years, this is a real victory.
On par with what happened with the Xbone policies, I'm getting the feeling that the customers' preferences and needs are finally taking over the publisher schemes to just monetize more in exchange for less.




Now we just need to get rid of Cliff Bleszinski and Cevat Yerli to make the world a better place. No no, don't need to kill them. Just stop them from trying to rip us off with F2P madness.

 

[Deleted member 13524]

BTW, the comment about the Xbone was about the fact that they changed policies because of customer feedback, nothing else.

Please don't troll this into another "I'm-butthurt-because-I-preferred-the-old-policies-and-everyone-who-didn't-like-them-was-just-ignorant" thread.

 

[AlphaWolf]

How the hell are Blezinski and Yerli the scapegoats for your F2P ire?

 

[Deleted member 13524]

How the hell are Blezinski and Yerli the scapegoats for your F2P ire?

They're both very vocal supporters of turning everything into F2P.

 

[Grall]

There's no F2P. Nothing is free. Nothing! (Not even lunches.)

It's all a lie to make you pay MORE for the same thing. Why else would they even want to go this route? Makes no sense, unless the intent is to wring more money out of the same amount of content.

 

[Silent_Buddha]

Maybe it's just wishful thinking, but all I can read from that is: "We're taking the C&C franchise back to campaign-based RTS".

Personally, I'm really happy with this. After losing so much terrain from campaign-based RTSes to F2P MOBAs for so many years, this is a real victory.

Leaving out the snarky Xbox One comment...

But considering the studio developing C&C was also closed down, I'm not sure there's anything at all in the works for C&C at moment.

If plans for the current iteration were canned due to a change in focus (to a SP campaign for instance), I'm not sure they would have had to close down the studio.

Then again, considering how EA absolutely butchered the last C&C, maybe it's best they just stopped trying. Even though C&C will always be one of my favorite franchises. Well, at least up until the last one. You could already see it going downhill a bit with the last C&C Red Alert as well. Decent game, but not as good as past iterations.

Regards,
SB

 

[Deleted member 13524]

But considering the studio developing C&C was also closed down, I'm not sure there's anything at all in the works for C&C at moment.
(...)
Then again, considering how EA absolutely butchered the last C&C, maybe it's best they just stopped trying. Even though C&C will always be one of my favorite franchises. Well, at least up until the last one. You could already see it going downhill a bit with the last C&C Red Alert as well. Decent game, but not as good as past iterations.

Well there may be nothing planned at the moment because they just cancelled the generals 2 turned generals online turned just C&C online fiasco. However, they made it clear that it's a good franchise and they will announce new projects around it.

I think they learned their lesson with the abysmal sales and massive public backlash they got with C&C4.
RA3 did push a bit much to the comic visuals but it was still C&C at heart.. and the dudes liked it more because: Gemma Atkinson.

If plans for the current iteration were canned due to a change in focus (to a SP campaign for instance), I'm not sure they would have had to close down the studio.

I think they closed down the studio because the gameplay itself was awfull so that group of people obviously wasn't working well as a team.
FWIW, they said they were trying to relocate the people on the team to other internal teams in EA, and not making massive lay-offs.

 

[homerdog]

and the dudes liked it more because: Gemma Atkinson.

Thank you for that suggestion. After a quick google search, I think I'll be busy for the next ten minutes.